sábado, 2 de junio de 2012

TULASI DEVI worship - Sastra Reading

TULASI DEVI worship - Sastra Reading

TULASI DEVI worship

Lord Narayana related the following account to Narada Muni....

Manu Daksha Savarni was a partial expansion of Lord Vishnu. He was extremely virtuous, devoted to the Lord, and very famous for his good deeds. Daksha Savarni's son, Dharma Savarni, was also extremely virtuous. Dharma Savarni's pious son was called Vishnu Savarni, and his son, who was a great Vaishnava, was known as Raja Savarni.

However, Raja Savarni's son, Vrishadhvaja, was fanatically devoted to Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva lived in Vrishadhvaja's house for three celestial yugas (ages) and loved him more than his own sons. Vrishadhvaja did not revere Lord Narayana, Goddess Lakshmi or any of the demigods. He abolished the worship of Lakshmi in the month of Bhadra (Aug., Sept.) and the worship of Sarasvati in the month of Magha (Jan., Feb.). He did not participate in the sacrifice and worship performed out of respect for Lord Vishnu (Narayana) and criticized them rather severely.

The demigods did not curse him because they feared Lord Shiva. However, Surya, the sun god, no longer able to restrain his wrath, cursed him: "O King, just as you are completely devoted to Lord Shiva and only to Lord Shiva, and just as you do not recognize any of the other demigods, I declare that you will now lose your wealth and prosperity!"

When Lord Shiva heard this curse, he became angry. Seizing his trident, he ran after Lord Surya. Afraid, the sun god went with his father, Kashyapa Muni, to Brahmaloka, the highest material planet, to take shelter of Lord Brahma. But Lord Shiva pursued him there. Lord Brahma, also afraid of Lord Shiva, took Lord Surya and Kashyapa Muni to the region of Vaikuntha, the spiritual or eternal world. There, with throats parched due to anxiety, they took refuge of Lord Narayana, the Lord of all. They offered obeisances to Him and praised Him repeatedly and finally explained why they were so apprehensive.

Lord Narayana bestowed His mercy on them and granted them the power to be fearless. He said, "O fearful ones, be consoled. How can you be afraid of anyone while I am here? If anyone remembers Me when he is in danger, wherever he may be, I hurry to him with my Sudarshana disc in my hand and save him. O demigods! I am always the creator, preserver and destroyer of this universe. In the form of Vishnu, I am the preserver; in the form of Brahma, the creator; and in the form of Shiva, the destroyer. I am Shiva, I am you, and I am Surya. I assume numerous forms and preserve the universe. So go back to your respective places. You have nothing to be afraid of. All will be well.

"From this day on, you have nothing to fear from Lord Shiva. He is the shelter of the pious, is easily pleased, is the servant and lord of his devotees, and is great minded. Lord Shiva and the Sudarshana-cakra are dearer to Me than My life. In the world of valor, they excel all. Lord Shiva can easily create ten million Suryas and ten million Brahmas. For him, nothing is impossible. He is not conscious of the external world. Meditating on Me, his heart centered, he is absorbed day and night. From his five faces he repeats My mantra with devotion, and he always sings My glories. Day and night, I also always think of his welfare. To whatever degree one worships Me, to that degree I favor one. The nature of Shiva is all-auspiciousness."

While Lord Narayana was speaking, Lord Shiva arrived. His eyes red, he was sitting on his bull carrier holding his trident. He dismounted quickly and humbly offered obeisances with devotion to the Lord of Lakshmi, the tranquil Supreme Being.

Lord Narayana was highly gratified. With sweet, nectarean words, He said, "O Lord Shiva, you are the symbol of all good and welfare. Thus, to ask about your welfare would be foolish. I would ask you only out of respect for the rules of society and the method prescribed in the Vedas. One who yields fruits of devotion and gives all prosperity should not be asked about his austerities or material prosperity. Since you preside over knowledge, it would be useless to ask if you are increasing in knowledge. It would be equally useless to ask a conqueror of death if he is free from all danger. But you have come to my residence for a reason. What is it? Have you become angry over something?"

"O Lord Vishnu!" Lord Shiva began. "King Vrishadhvaja is my great devotee. Lord Surya has cursed him and that has made me angry. Out of affection for my son, the king, I was about to kill Surya. But Surya sought shelter of Lord Brahma, and now both of them have sought Your protection. Those who are distressed and take shelter of You, either by speaking about You or by remembering You, become completely safe and free from danger. They overcome death and old age. What to speak of those who come personally to You and take shelter. When one remembers You, his dangers disappear. All good comes to him. O Lord of the world! What will become of my foolish devotee who, by the curse of Lord Surya, has lost his fortune and prosperity?"

Lord Vishnu replied, "O Lord Shiva! A half hour has elapsed here in Vaikuntha. In that time, twenty-one celestialyugas have passed away. Therefore, King Vrishadhvaja, through the revolution of irresistible and dreadful time, is dead. His son, Hamsadhvaja, in the course of time, also died. Hamsadhvaja begot two noble sons named Dharmadhvaja and Kushadhvaja.

They are both great Vaishnavas but, because of Lord Surya's curse, they have become luckless. They lost their kingdoms, including all property and prosperity. But they are now engaged in worshiping Goddess Lakshmi, who is pleased with their efforts. Therefore, She has agreed to descend to Earth and expand Herself partially by taking birth from the wives of those two kings.

THE APPEARANCE OF TULSI DEVI

Dharmadhvaja and Kushadhvaja performed harsh asceticism and worshiped Godesss Lakshmi. Thereafter, they separately obtained the blessings they desired. By Goddess Lakshmi's favor, they again became the rulers of the earth. They acquired great spiritual merits, were married, and begot children. King Dharmadhvaja was married to Madhavi. After some time, she became pregnant with a partial incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi. However, the infant remained in Madhavi's womb for one hundred celestial years. Day by day Madhavi's luster increased. Then, on an auspicious day and moment, when there was a full moon, in the month of Karttika, on a Friday, she gave birth.

The grace of the Goddess of Fortune, Lakshmi, manifested through the baby. There were marks of the lotus flower on the infant's feet. Her face looked like the autumnal moon, her eyes resembled blooming lotuses, and her lips appeared like ripe bimba fruit. Her palms and the soles of her feet were reddish, her navel was deep, and just above it were three folds. Her body was delightfully warm in the winter and cool in the summer-very pleasant and the light shining from her body surrounded her like a halo. Her complexion was white, like a campaka flower, and her hair looked beautiful. Because her beauty was incomparable, the sages called her Tulasi.

--(continuance of the previous post)--

As soon as she was born, Tulasi resolved to go to the mountainous region of Badarinatha to practice severe austerities. Though many persons tried to dissuade her, no one was able to; for she was determined to stay and pray in the forest till Lord Krishna appeared and agreed to become her husband, during a period of one hundred thousand celestial years…

In the summer, she exposed herself to four fires around her and the sun above; in the winter, she submerged herself in the icy waters; and in the rainy season, she subjected herself to heavy downpours at the funeral grounds. For 20,000 years, she subsisted on fruits and water; for 30,000 years, she chewed dry leaves; for 40,000 years, she lived only on air; and for 10,000 years, she ate nothing and just stood on one leg.

Finally, she saw Lord Brahma in the sky, riding on his swan carrier and sweeping down towards her. Believing that he had come to grant her a boon, she bowed down low to him.

Lord Brahma said, "O Tulasi, ask me for a boon. Whether it be devotion to Lord Hari or servitorship to Him or freedom from old age or freedom from death-I will grant it."

"Yes, O Lord, I will ask. Please listen. I will not hide my desires out of fear or shame, since you are all-knowing. My name is Tulasi. Formally I was a cowherd girl in Goloka, and there I served Radharani, the beloved of Shri Krishna. I am a partial expansion of Radharani and was her favorite companion. But one day in the place where the rasa dance had occurred, Krishna became intimate with me and I fainted from excessive joy. While I was lying there, Radharani suddenly appeared and saw me in that condition. She was not at all pleased. And She sent me to take birth as a human being!'

"Then Krishna said to me, 'When you take birth in India, if you practice austerities, Lord Brahma will grant you a blessing. He will arrange for you to marry the four-armed Narayana, who is an expansion of Myself.' Then Krishna disappeared. And out of fear of Radharani, I left Goloka and was born in this world...So please grant me that boon. I want to have that handsome and peaceful Narayana as my husband."

Lord Brahma replied, "O Tulasi, Sudama was a partial expansion of Krishna and was one of Krishna's cowherd boyfriends in Goloka. As a result of a curse by Radharani, he is presently living on earth among the Danavas (demons). His name is Shankhacuda. He is very energetic and no one can compare with him in strength. While living in Goloka, he was very attracted to you and wanted to marry you. But he did not make any overtures.

Just as you are a jatismara-that is, one who knows her previous births-Shankhacuda also is. Remembering his past desire to be close to you, he has performed severe austerities to obtain you as his wife. I now wish to grant his desire. Therefore, O beautiful one, please agree to wed him. However, later on, by the special arrangement of Providence, you will get the beautiful Narayana as your husband...

Then you will be transformed into the world-purifying Tulasi plant (holy basil). You will be the best of flowers and dearer to Narayana than His own life. No one's worship will be complete without your leaves. You will remain as a tree in Vrindavana and will be widely known as Vrindavani. The cowherd men and women will worship Lord Hari with your leaves. As the presiding deity of the Tulasi plant, you will always enjoy the company of Krishna, the best of cowherd boys."

Tulasi Devi smiled and gladly said to Lord Brahma, "O Father, I will be honest with you. I am not as devoted to the four-armed Narayana as I am to the two-armed Krishna. For in Goloka, my close encounter with Krishna was suddenly interrupted, leaving me still longing for Him. Thus, it was only because Krishna had asked me that I have been praying to get Narayana for my husband. But now it appears certain that by your grace I will again get Krishna, who is very difficult to attain. However, O lord, please grant me the following boon: that I lose my fear of Radharani."

Lord Brahma replied, "O child, I shall now give you the sixteen-lettered radha-mantra. By this boon you will be as dear to Radharani as Her life, and She will approve of Your intimate dealings with Krishna."

Lord Brahma initiated Tulasi Devi into to the sixteen-lettered mantra, the hymn, and the mode of worship of Sri Radha. Then, blessing her, he disappeared.

As directed, Tulasi engaged herself in worshiping Srimati Radharani and, after twelve years, attained success. Obtaining the desired boon, she reaped the fruits that were unattainable by others. As the pangs of her austerities ended, she became cheerful. When one gets the fruits of one's labor and then considers the difficulties experienced in attaining them, the difficulties then seem pleasurable...

THE BIRTH OF SANKHACHUDA

Dambha, one of Kashyapa’s sons was self-controlled and a great devotee of Lord Visnu. But he could not beget a son, so he became anxious. Therefore he went to Puskara forest and performed severe austerity for a hundred thousand years. There, sitting in a steady posture and uttering the Krsna mantra, he practiced japa.

Lord Visnu then went to Puskara where Dambha was practicing austerity. Seeing that Dambha was repeating His name, the Lord consoled him and asked, "What blessing do you want Me to grant you?"

Dambha offered his obeisances with great devotion and praised the Lord repeatedly. Then he said, "O Lord of lords, O lotus-eyed one, obeisances unto You. O Lord of Laksmi, O Lord of the three worlds, please be merciful to me. Please give me a powerful and courageous son who will be Your devotee, be invincible to the demigods, and be the conqueror of the three worlds."

Lord Visnu asked Dambha to stop his austerity, granted him the blessing, and disappeared. As the Lord vanished, Dambha offered obeisance in that direction and returned home. Within a short while his blessed wife became pregnant. She radiated an effulgence that illuminated the inner apartment of her residence. The soul residing in her womb was Sudama, one of Lord Krsna's leading cowherd companions who had been cursed by Srimati Radharani.

When Dambha's chaste wife gave birth to a radiant-looking son, Dambha invited the sages to his place and had the post-natal rites performed. There was great jubilation and, on a favorable day, the father named him Sankhacuda.

The son grew up in his father's residence like the moon in its bright half. In his childhood he learned all the traditions, customs, injunctions and prohibitions, and became resplendent. Engaging in childhood play, he delighted his parents and became the favorite of all the family members.

Later on, to obtain a boon from Lord Brahma, Sankhacuda performed an austerity in Puskara for a long while. He concentrated his mind, restrained his senses and organs of action, and chanted a mantra that his preceptor, Jaigisavya, had imparted to him. Finally, Lord Brahma went to Sankhacuda to grant him a blessing. Lord Brahma asked, "Tell me what boon you want."

Seeing Lord Brahma, the Danava king bowed to him humbly and praised him with devotional words. Then he said, "Please make me invincible to the demigods, and also enable me to marry Tulasi.

"So be it," Brahma replied. Then he gave Sankhacuda the Divine amulet of Lord Sri Krsna. This amulet, called Sarvamangalamaya (Conqueror of the World), was considered the most auspicious of all auspicious things in the world, for it guaranteed victory everywhere.

Brahma continued, "Now you should go to Badarikasrama. Tulasi Devi is performing penance there by her own will. You should marry her there. She is the daughter of King Dharmadhvaja." Lord Brahma then disappeared.

Sankhacuda, whose austerity had now borne fruit at Puskara, tied that most precious amulet round his neck. He then set out for Badarikasrama, his face beaming with joy.

TULASI DEVI TESTS KING SANKHACHUDA

Tulasi saw Sankhacuda approaching in his jeweled airplane and noticed that he was in the prime of his youth. He was handsome like Cupid, white-complexioned like the Champaka flower and decorated with gems. His face resembled the full moon of autumn, his eyes looked like lotuses in full bloom, and his cheeks flashed with the glow of his earrings. A Parijata flower garlanded his neck, musk and saffron anointed his body, and sandal paste perfumed his person.

As he came closer, Tulasi hid her face in her shawl and smiled at him with sidelong glances. Blushing at the thought of this first meeting, she bowed her head nervously and eagerly drank in with her eyes the lotus of his face.

Sankhacuda also gazed at Tulasi, seated as she was on a lovely bed strewn with flowers and sandalwood. Her teeth shown like pearls, her lips were like Bimba fruit, her nose was graceful and her complexion golden. She resembled the autumnal moon. Adding to her grace, just below the parting of her hair, was the mark of sandal paste and musk; and, just below them, a mark of vermilion. She had a low yet deep navel, and below it, three lovely abdominal folds. Her palms were reddish, her fingernails were glowing, and her feet were radiant and crimson, colored with lac-dye. Her glowing toenails surpassed the glow of the autumn moon, giving her an unrivaled beauty.

Sankhacuda sat down and said to her, "O beautiful girl, whose daughter are you? And how have you come to this forest? You look most fortunate and blessed. Indeed, you are the personification of heavenly joy--the best of women! You are a model of loveliness and can certainly bewilder even the saints!"

When Tulasi gave no reply, he asked, "O gracious one, why don't you speak? I am your servant, so please greet me with the melody of your speech."

Her head lowered, her face smiling, the beautiful-eyed Tulasi said, "I am the daughter of King Dharmadhvaja and have been practicing asceticism here. But who are you? And why are you talking to me? If a noble man sees a virtuous woman alone, he does not talk to her. So go away--wherever you please."

But Sankhacuda did not move.

Sankhacuda smiled and then answered, "O goddess, what you have said is not completely false. A virtuous man would never court another man's wife in either public or private. But I have come to you by Lord Brahma's command to marry you according to the Gandharva rite.

"My name is Sankhacuda. When the demigods see me, they flee in fear. In my previous birth, I lived in Goloka and was a cowherd boy named Sudama. I was a close friend of Sri Krsna's, one of His attendants. I was one of the eight celebrated cowherds. Then Srimati Radharani cursed me to be born here in a demon family. By Krsna's grace and by His mantra, I am a jatismara, that is, I know the history of my previous birth. You also are a jatismara. So you know that in your previous birth, in Goloka, when Radharani caught you alone with Krsna, she became angry and cursed you to be born here, in India. In Goloka I very much wanted to consort with you; but because I feared Radharani, I did not do so."

Sankhacuda stopped talking. Then Tulasi smiled and cheerfully said, "Persons like you are famous in this world and good women desire such husbands. You have defeated me in argument. "I tested you to determine how strong you are in knowledge. One should choose one's husband by examining a man's merits and defects.”

When Tulasi Devi stopped speaking, Lord Brahma suddenly appeared there. After Shankacuda and Tulasi offered him their respects, Lord Brahma said, "O Sankhacuda! Why are you wasting your time in such empty talks with Tulasi? Marry her now by the Gandharva rite. As you are a gem among males, she is a gem among females. When a clever couple marry, the union is very happy. And who would abandon happiness when it is at hand? Anyone who would do so is worse than a beast.

And you, Tulasi! Why are you testing this noble and qualified person who can subdue both the gods and the demons? Marry Sankhacuda, just as Lakshmi is married to Narayana, Radhika to Krishna, my Savitri to me, Shaci to Indra and Aditi to Kashyapa.

Stay with the handsome Sankhacuda for a long time and, as you like, wander with him to various places. When Sankhacuda leaves his body, you will return to Goloka and get Krishna as your husband." Lord Brahma then blessed them and returned to his own abode.

Sankhacuda then married Tulasi by the Gandharva rite. Glorifying the marriage, the demigods sounded their drums and showered flowers on them from the sky.

Sankhacuda smiled. He then presented Tulasi with clothes he had obtained from Lord Varuna's house; he also gave her a precious necklace of jewels, an armlet he had gotten from Svaha (Agni's wife), armlets from Chaya (the sun god's wife), earrings from Rohini (the moon god's wife), finger rings from Rati (Cupid's wife), conch ornaments from Vishvakarma, as well as excellent bedding adorned with pearls and jewels. After further adorning her, he placed her feet on his chest and said, "I am your servant.”

They left the hermitage and began to travel to various places. They went to different mountains, flower gardens, caves, beaches, riversides and forests. Shankhacuda then brought Tulasi to his own kingdom...